MCCOOK – Lexi Parker and Caley Leslie combined for six strikeouts in helping the Western Nebraska Community College softball team capture a 6-3 win over McCook Community College in the first game of a conference doubleheader in McCook.
The second game saw McCook score seven runs in the middle innings to earn the 8-5 win.
The two teams will meet up Sunday afternoon in the final two games of the regular season at McCook with a lot on the line. McCook will host the Region IX tournament with two wins, but if WNCC wins twice the Cougars and McCook will be tied for the conference lead.
The first game was a pitcher’s dual for the first three innings as neither team scored a run. WNCC finally broke the ice with a run in the fourth as Macyn Hartman doubled and scored on a Mackenzie Bakel 2-out single.
McCook came back and had back-to-back solo home runs to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. WNCC answered, though, scoring twice in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 6-2 lead.
The fifth saw Emma Schweitzer walk. Bailey Blanchard then singled with two outs. DemiRae Woolsey and Blanchard each scored on a Wharton double to make it 3-2. The sixth saw WNCC score two more as the Cougars got three straight base runners on as Taylor Klein and Bakel singled and Erin Hanafin was hit by a pitch. Klein scored on Bakel single and then Bakel scored on a Chloe Cronquist single for the 5-2 lead.
McCook added one in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3, but WNCC ended the game with a line-out double play to get the win.
WNCC outhit McCook 8-6. Wharton and Bakel each had two hits. Wharton had a double with two RBIs while Bakel had a run scored and an RBI.
Parker started and went three innings in scattering three hits and allowing two runs while striking out two. Leslie tossed the final four innings to get the win. Leslie allowed three hits and one run while striking out four.
WNCC started the second game off quickly with two runs as Hartman started things with a double. Klein then singled to put runners on the corner. Hartman scored on a Hanafin single Klein came in to score on a Bakel single. McCook would come back with two in the second and three in the third for a 5-2 lead. WNCC sliced the lead to 5-3 with one in the fourth as Schweitzer led off with a solo home run.
McCook answered right back with two in the fourth for a 7-3 lead. WNCC added single runs in the fifth and sixth. The fifth saw the Cougars score their run as Hartman scored on a groundout.
The sixth saw WNCC load the bases with one out as Cronquist doubled and Bailey Blanchard reached on an error and DemiRae Woolsey was hit by a pitch. Cronquist scored on a ground out, but that was all they could get in.
WNCC was outhit in the second game 13-9. Klein was the only Cougar with multiple hits. Klein also scored once. Hanafin had two RBIs in the game while Hartman had a double with two runs scored.
Game 1
WNCC 000 122 0 – 5 8 1
McCook 000 201 0 – 3 6 1
WP – Caley Leslie.
2B – Victoria Wharton, Macyn Hartman.
Game 2
WNCC 200 111 0 – 5 9 0
McCook 023 201 x – 8 13 3
LP – DesaRae Woolsey.
2B – Macyn Hartman, Chloe Cronquist.
HR – Emma Schweitzer.
